A Lemon a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Did you know that drinking a few glasses of lemonade each day can prevent the formation of kidney stones? Citrate (citric acid) is a natural inhibitor of urinary stones and lemons contain nearly five times more citrate than orange juice. And people who suffer from kidney stones are more likely to drink lemonade than to follow a cumbersome regimen of tablet and supplemental therapy. In fact, a study conducted by the Department of Urology at the University of California in San Francisco found that lemonade therapy not only reduced the number of kidney stones, but increased patient compliance. Researchers tested 12 patients, all of whom were intolerant of, or non-compliant, with a pharmacological approach to the treatment of kidney stones. Over a period of six days, patients consumed the lemon mixture (4 ounces of lemon juice mixed with tap water) at regular intervals. At the end of the study, researchers found that the citrate therapy significantly increased urinary citrate levels. In addition, it was concluded that the consumption of lemonade will increase patient compliance, as this particular type of therapy is inexpensive and generally well tolerated.